Josué 23

ARC · Chapter 23/24

1E succedeu que, muitos dias depois que o Senhor déra repouso a Israel de todos os seus inimigos em redor, e Josué já fosse velho e entrado em dias,

2Chamou Josué a todo o Israel, aos seus anciãos, e aos seus Cabeças, e aos seus juizes, e aos seus officiaes, e disse-lhes: Eu já sou velho e entrado em dias;

3E vós já tendes visto tudo quanto o Senhor vosso Deus fez a todas estas nações por causa de vós: porque o Senhor vosso Deus é o que pelejou por vós.

4Vêdes aqui que vos fiz cair em sorte ás vossas tribus estas nações que ficam desde o Jordão, com todas as nações que tenho destruido, até ao grande mar para o pôr do sol.

5E o Senhor vosso Deus as empuxará de diante de vós, e as expellirá de diante de vós: e vós possuireis a sua terra, como o Senhor vosso Deus vos tem dito

6Esforçae-vos pois muito para guardardes e para fazerdes tudo quanto está escripto no livro da lei de Moysés: para que d'elle não vos aparteis, nem para a direita nem para a esquerda;

7Por não entrardes a estas nações que ainda ficaram comvosco: e dos nomes de seus deuses não façaes menção, nem por elles façaes jurar, nem os sirvaes, nem a elles vos inclineis.

8Mas ao Senhor vosso Deus vos achegareis, como fizestes até ao dia de hoje;

9Pois o Senhor expelliu de diante de vós grandes e numerosas nações: e, quanto a vós, ninguem ficou em pé diante de vós até ao dia de hoje.

10Um só homem d'entre vós perseguirá a mil: pois é o mesmo Senhor vosso Deus o que peleja por vós, como já vos tem dito.

11Portanto, guardae muito as vossas almas, para amardes ao Senhor vosso Deus.

12Porque se d'alguma maneira vos apartardes, e vos achegardes ao resto d'estas nações que ainda ficou comvosco, e com ellas vos aparentardes, e vós a ellas entrardes, e ellas a vós,

13Sabei certamente que o Senhor vosso Deus não continuará mais a expellir estas nações de diante de vós, mas vos serão por laço e rede, e açoite ás vossas ilhargas, e espinhos aos vossos olhos; até que pereçaes d'esta boa terra que vos deu o Senhor vosso Deus

14E eis aqui eu vou hoje pelo caminho de toda a terra: e vós bem sabeis, com todo o vosso coração, e com toda a vossa alma, que nem uma só palavra caiu de todas as boas palavras que fallou de vós o Senhor vosso Deus; todas vos sobrevieram, nem d'ellas caiu uma só palavra.

15E será que, assim como sobre vós vieram todas estas boas coisas, que o Senhor vosso Deus vos disse, assim trará o Senhor sobre vós todas aquellas más coisas, até vos destruir de sobre a boa terra que vos deu o Senhor vosso Deus.

16Quando traspassardes o concerto do Senhor vosso Deus, que vos tem ordenado, e fõrdes e servirdes a outros deuses, e a elles vos inclinardes, então a ira do Senhor sobre vós se accenderá, e logo perecereis de sobre a boa terra que vos deu

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Now very old, Joshua gathers the leaders of Israel for his farewell speech, urging them to remain faithful to God and not mix with the remaining nations.

Explanation

Joshua uses his final authority to leave a clear warning: the remaining presence of Canaanite nations in the land, even though subdued, posed a real spiritual risk that Israel would adopt their gods through marriages and alliances. He recalls that 'one man of you shall chase a thousand,' reinforcing that the victories came from the Lord, not from Israel's own strength - and that the same God who fulfilled the promises of blessing would also fulfill the warnings of judgment if there was unfaithfulness. It is a farewell speech centered not on past conquests, but on the ongoing faithfulness required in the future.

Fun facts

  • This speech strongly echoes the tone and final words of Moses in Deuteronomy, showing Joshua consciously following the leadership pattern of his mentor.
  • The expression 'snare and trap' used to describe the influence of the remaining nations (v. 13) is the same image used later in Judges to describe exactly what happened to Israel.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Josué 23:1Joshua, now old, gathers the whole people for a farewell speech, in the same pattern Moses uses in Deuteronomy before his death: an aging leader recalls what God has done and leaves final instructions before stepping off the stage. It was a common way, in the ancient world, to close out someone's leadership without leaving any doubt about what comes next.
  2. Josué 23:2Now old, Joshua gathers the leaders of all Israel for a farewell speech.
  3. Josué 23:3He reminds them that the people themselves witnessed everything God did to the conquered nations, making it clear that it was God who fought for them.
  4. Josué 23:4Joshua recalls that he has already distributed all this land by lot, including territory not yet fully conquered.
  5. Josué 23:5He assures them that God will keep driving out the remaining peoples, allowing Israel to fully take possession of the promised land.
  6. Josué 23:6The main counsel is to stay faithful to the law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left.
  7. Josué 23:7Joshua asks the people not even to mention the names of the gods of the neighboring nations. It's not just about avoiding worship of them — it's about avoiding any familiarity with them at all, like cutting off a temptation at the root before it can take hold.
  8. Josué 23:8The instruction is to keep clinging to God, just as they have done up to that day.
  9. Josué 23:9Joshua recalls that God has already driven out great and powerful nations, and that no one has been able to stand against Israel so far.
  10. Josué 23:10He stresses that Israel's strength in battle never came from the people themselves, but from God fighting for them.
  11. Josué 23:11That's why the main warning is to watch over their own souls in order to keep loving God.
  12. Josué 23:12Joshua warns of the danger of mixing with the peoples still left in the land, forming ties through marriages and alliances.
  13. Josué 23:13If that happens, he warns, God will stop driving out these peoples, who will become a constant trap for Israel.
  14. Josué 23:14Joshua states that not one of God's good promises has failed up to that moment. The same logic will repeat in the verses that follow, but in reverse: if the people break the covenant, the bad things promised will come true with the same certainty.
  15. Josué 23:15Joshua draws a direct parallel: just as all of God's good promises came true, the promises of punishment will also come true if the people disobey.
  16. Josué 23:16The final warning concerns the risk of breaking the covenant with God and following other gods, which would bring divine wrath and expulsion from the conquered land.

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